Ripples
by Retrohspective
Summary: Taking place after their loss as a team at prefecturals, the boys of the Iwatobi Swim Club have a lot on their plates-schoolwork, staying on top of their game for future swim competitions, and their ever-present emotional struggle in the realms of friendship and romance.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: This is an M rated story, not meant for anyone under the age of 18- it will involve adult content. This is a fanfiction based off of the anime Free! and it is based around the main characters of the show, no original characters. The adult content featured here is male on male/homosexual, if that offends you, then please take note of that and don't read it._

Chapter 1: Surprise. . .?

Haru woke with a start, his body covered in a cold sweat. He was breathing hard, his heart was racing. That's the second nightmare this week... Haru thought to himself, stretching his arms above his head as he lay in bed. Thankfully it was a Saturday, and waking up and getting to school wouldn't be a problem today. He did, in fact, have plans though. Makoto wanted to meet up with him and swim for a while at their school's pool. Friday afternoon they had gotten permission to do so from Miss Ama-Chan.

The plans were all fine by him, but ever since the competition at nationals, Haru couldn't get his mind off Rin. He groaned and rolled over in bed. As if that was a surprise. He had yet to see or hear from him over the past couple weeks, but his friends had told him not to worry about it. Rin probably had a lot going on with the Samezuka swim team still. Even if nationals were over, swim season never was when they were graced with an indoor pool. A twinge of jealousy ran through Haru but he shook it off. He and his friends had put so much work into their own school's now redone pool, and Haru loved it-the instant access to the water to be... Free, swimming, one with the water around his body. Gliding.

Shoving back his blanket Haru swung his legs over the side of the bed, scratching his neck as he stood up. He trudged his way to the bathroom, pulling off his pajama bottoms in front of his tub, only to find that he wore his swimsuit to bed...Again. Shrugging, he ran the water for the tub to fill as he went about other morning routines, brushing his teeth, washing his face. Once the tub was full, Haru stepped in, still wearing his swim trunks. They felt more comfortable on his body than just bathing naked. It reminded him of swimming.

He sunk into the tub, ducking his head under the warm water, eyes closed, peaceful. He soaked himself for a few minutes, washing his hair slowly with shampoo, running his hand through his dark, damp, locks. Ages seemed to pass when Haru was in the water, yet whenever he thought about getting out, it felt like he had only been in for seconds.

Opening his eyes Haru was greeted by a not-so unusual sight. Unusual for the weekend, though. Staring down at him was a smiling Makoto. "Taking a bath, Haru? Why am I not surprised." His boyish smile always made Haru's heart skip a beat. They had been close friends for what felt like his entire life, he spent nearly every day being with Mako in some way. Whether in classes at school, swimming together, or just spending time together at Haru's house, Mako was there with him.

Haru just shrugged. "Anyway," Mako continued, "I know I'm here a little early... But, I thought maybe you'd be up and awake.. Which, you are, and that we could hang out for a bit before we head to the school's pool." He smiled, and offered Haru his hand. Pausing, Haru took his friends hand and stood up in the tub, water beading up on his skin.

"Haru! Your swimsuit? Honestly..." Mako grinned and shook his head. "Most people tend to bathe naked, you know," he said with a gleam in his eye. Haru looked at his smiling friend as he stepped out of the tub, "It's... More comfortable this way, Mako."

Now it was Mako's turn to shrug in response. He couldn't change his friend's odd ways, and frankly he wouldn't want it any other way. "C'mon, let's go eat some breakfast. Assuming you haven't eaten yet?" Mako cocked his head.

Haru shook the water out of his hair and walked out of the bathroom towards the kitchen. Well, there was Mako's answer. A few minutes later Haru had donned his usual apron-still wearing nothing but his swimsuit-and turned on his stove. Rice was cooking in the cooker and Haru was cooking his favorite food-mackerel.

All Mako could do was offer a weak smile. Sometimes he wondered if it was possible for one human being to eat too much fish... But, Haru almost always seemed healthy enough, and that was good enough for Mako. Brushing his bangs out of his eyes he sat down at the table in his living room, hearing the sounds of the sizzling fish in oil, the herbs wafting out of the kitchen towards his nose. With nothing but an apple in his stomach, a deep grumble reminded him just how hungry he was feeling. "Hey, Haru?" Mako yelled.

"Huh?" Came a muffled response. Mako hesitated. He wanted to bring up the real reason why he had shown up so early but.. Shaking his head he quickly decided against it.

"Ah.. Uhm, is.. Breakfast almost done?" He asked in lieu of his original idea. Haru answered him by standing in the doorway, holding two bowls of steaming rice topped with mackerel and pickled vegetables. The smells were overwhelming and as soon as the bowl was set down in front of Mako he instantly dug into the meal, silence enveloping the two friends as they ate.

"You know, Haru," Mako spoke up, his mouth mostly full, "You really are a good cook. I always feel so lucky when you cook for me," he added, looking down to hide the soft blush creeping over his cheeks. Haru met Mako's gaze for a moment before nodding.

"Thank you, Mako. I. . ." Haru's voice trailed off. He could admit that he always tried to cook a little something special when it was for Mako, or any of his friends, almost as a way to impress them. Most of the meals he made for himself weren't incredibly fancy, or even really cooked for that matter. "I like cooking for you." He finally added, mustering the faintest of smiles for his friend.

It wasn't often Haru smiled, but when he did, Mako's world would spin. They were special moments he shared with his friend, and he cherished them just as much as any. "Haru. . ." Mako said softly, looking down at his now empty dish. He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak but as Mako raised his head, Haru was now much, much closer to him, his face just inches from his own. "H-How..?" Mako whispered. Haru shook his head, leaning in even closer. Mako was trembling. They had had a few. . . Encounters such as this, where the tension between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife. . But nothing had ever happened. The moment would pass, they would pull apart, and life would go on.

Haru's eyes remained a steely complexure. Here he was yet again, rather close to caving, and kissing his close friend. Every one of his nerves were screaming, some holding him back, others urging him to move forward. Haru took a deep inhale, his chest wavering. As he was about to inch his lips forward, a thought flashed through his mind.

_"C'mon, Haru! Follow me!" A young, grinning Rin was running down the now empty halls of their swim club, his hair still damp from their swimming practice. _

_"W-Wait for me!" Haru yelled after him. His legs carried him forward, but somehow he couldn't quite catch up to Rin. Rounding a corner, Haru stopped. Rin was no where to be seen. Where could he have gone? Looking around, Haru's head raced with the possibilities until his thoughts were suddenly halted. Out of no where Haru felt himself forcefully, but not painfully, pushed back against the hallway wall. Eyes wide, Haru saw it was Rin, holding his wrists to the wall, his red damp hair hanging over his forehead as he leaned in close. _

_"Gotcha," he said with a grin, all of his pointy teeth on display. Haru shivered, the cool hallway making him cold even though he was dried off now. "I want to tell you something, Haru," Rin said softly, suddenly breaking eye contact and looking down. He stayed like that for a few moments, before suddenly staring at Haru with his sharp eyes. "I like you Haru. And I know you like me too. But we can't tell anyone, or let anyone know."_

_Haru's breathing grew faster, more panicked, his heart racing. How did he..? Did Rin really..? There were too many thoughts for him to keep track of. If Rin knew, did the others know? Did Mako-his thoughts were abruptly cut short by Rin's lips upon his. They were soft, and his skin smelled faintly of chlorine. But as quickly as it had happened, it was over. _

_Rin pulled away and grabbed Haru's forearms. "Don't let anyone else kiss you, Haru. And don't tell anyone we kissed either." He let go and smiled. "Betcha you've never seen a sight like that before!" And he laughed. Nervous, Haru laughed with his friend, his body still trembling._

With a small gasp Haru pulled back, his heart pounding like mad. That had been years ago, so long ago. Did it even matter anymore? The fact that Haru even remembered it and cared enough to remember worried him. Rin probably didn't remember anymore, or care for that matter.

"Are you okay, Haru?" Mako asked him, his eyes wide and caring. Something had obviously upset him and kept him from... Continuing. But whatever it was, Mako had a feeling Haru wasn't going to tell him.

Haru nodded his head slowly. "Y-Yes.. I'm okay," he tried to say reassuringly as he ignored his pounding heart. Desperate for a distraction, wordlessly Haru gathered their dishes and brought them back to the kitchen, leaving them to soak in the sink. He looked over his shoulder at Mako, who had followed. "I'm.. Going to get dressed, and then we can leave for the school, okay?" Mako nodded, leaning against Haru's kitchen counter, a worried look still on his face.

A few minutes later Haru was dressed in his warm up suit, deciding it was easier to wear that over his swimsuit rather than bring any sort of change of clothes with him. Meeting Mako in the foyer of his home, he met his gaze.

"Ready?" Asked Mako. Haru nodded, and the two friends left to catch the train to their school.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: This is an M rated story, not meant for anyone under the age of 18- it will involve adult content. This is a fanfiction based off of the anime Free! and it is based around the main characters of the show, no original characters. The adult content featured here is male on male/homosexual, if that offends you, then please take note of that and don't read it._

Chapter 2: Deeper

In a different part of town, plenty of boys were already in the water, and had been for a couple hours. It was practice time for the Samezuka Academy swim team, and even on Saturday mornings they didn't slack off. Their captain insisted it was for the best, but many of them had their doubts. However, complaining about swimming on a Saturday morning wasn't something Matsuoka Rin ever did. No, he liked his swim practices. They enabled him to grow stronger, get faster, beat his records, and excel. But it was never for the sake of the team. Rin had wanted to prove himself to his late father, to Haru.

He had thought that he had done that at nationals, when he had swam with the Iwatobi swim club and won the relay. Yet, Rin felt incomplete. He had been. . . Inadvertently ignoring his friends from Iwatobi these past couple weeks, not sure of his feelings. Just because they swam in a relay together, did that make them all close friends again? Part of Rin yearned for the friendship he once shared with them. The other part of him was so used to the solitude that he preferred his isolation. Although, he was never truly alone. Almost always, whether at practice or in the dorm, Nitori seemed to hang off of Rin's every word and action, always looking towards him for guidance. And usually, Rin didn't have any sort of problem with that. Sure, the kid was clingy, but he had a lot of potential as a swimmer.

With a sigh, Rin looked up. He had been sitting on the bench, his body slowly drying off as practice drifted to a stop. Most of the guys had already left, leaving for the locker room a little early because they had plans in the afternoon, or later that day that they needed to attend to. Shaking his head Rin stood up. Everyone else was leaving now, though. Seijuro had blown the whistle, everyone was scattering.

Picking up his duffel bag Rin was instantly bombarded by the ever eager Nitori. "Hey, Rin!" He said with a smile, catching up to his longer strides. "Great job at practice today."

Rin nodded. "Ah, yeah, same to you Nitori." Swinging open the door to the locker room Rin made a beeline to a more secluded spot to pull off his swimsuit. Finding a spot to his liking, Rin tucked his duffel bag into a locker for the time being. Normally Rin took his time in the locker room, getting undressed, showered and changed. The showers here were less private than those in his dormitory, but they were bigger, and Rin liked that. He spent a few minutes loitering about, dwelling in his thoughts about the different times he reached in practice today before finally stripping off his swimsuit and wrapping a towel around his waist and walking towards the showers.

As he approached a shower stall, a sound caught Rin's hearing. It was faint at first, but still noticeable. Like the sound of someone gasping softly, or panting. Rin crept closer to the source of the sound, a few stalls down from where he had been planning to rinse off. The sound grew as he got closer, and Rin hesitated. Most everyone had already changed and left after practice, or simply had just left to go back to their own dormitories. The only other person he had seen around... Was Nitori.

Rin smirked. Nitori was playing with himself in the shower! The idea made his member stiffen. Rin thought of the last time he had caught Nitori in the act, hardening even more.

_A sigh escaped Rin's lips. He had had a long day. Swim practice at the crack of dawn followed by a long work out session. Then that was followed by a full day of classes, studying, and finally he was returning to his dorm close to midnight. It was one of his busier days of the week, a day where he was scheduled to practice and workout. His muscles ached, his eyes strained to stay open in the dimly lit hallway. Fumbling a bit Rin managed to successfully unlock his door, walking into his room. He slung his backpack onto the floor and was about to turn on his desk lamp when he saw it. _

_Nitori was on his top bunk, laying on his back, his stiff cock in hand. Every few moments a small whimper or gasp would escape his lips. Rin, stricken with overtiredness took a few moments to process what was happening. Then he grinned. Nitori hadn't even noticed him walk in yet, he was so into it! "Yo, Nitori," Rin said smoothly. _

_His eyes shot wide open, hand still grasping his exposed cock. "R-Rin-kun! I.. I-" Rin chuckled. He could tell Nitori's cheeks were a deep red, even in the darkness of their room. _

_"Oh, Nitori.. You dirty, dirty boy." Rin's eyes couldn't get away from Nitori's throbbing cock, still in his hand, even if his body was trembling. Rin could feel his own cock grow hard at the sight, a soft growl escaping him. "Let's play, Nitori." With a playful gleam in his eye Rin pulled Nitori off of his bunk and situated him on the bottom one, so he was looking up at Rin wide-eyed. Straddling over him, Rin pulled off his own shirt, running his hand down Nitori's bare chest until his hand was over his cock, stroking it, causing Nitori to whimper._

_"Senpai.. W-What.." Rin placed a finger against his lips. _

_"Shh, Nitori. Quiet, now. No talking, got it?" He got up abruptly and went to his desk, rifling around in the drawer for a moment before returning. Quickly and smoothly Rin bound Nitori's wrists together above his head, and tied his ankles to the end bed posts. "Now, Nitori," he said to him , his voice soothing, eerily calm. "I'm going to show you what happens to dirty boys who play with themselves." With a grin that showed off all his teeth, Rin leaned over Nitori and nibbled his neck, listening to him whimper._

Rin shook his head. That hadn't been the only time he had been...intimate with Nitori, but it had been the only time they had gone all the way.. And every time he had been like that with Nitori... Rin couldn't shake the heavy sense of guilt that plagued him afterwards. He could never figure out what exactly caused it either. An image of Haru flashed through his mind's eye and his heart began to race. Suppressing a frustrated growl Rin decided to skip his shower, rushing back to clothe himself again and return to his dormitory.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: This is an M rated story, not meant for anyone under the age of 18- it will involve adult content. This is a fanfiction based off of the anime Free! and it is based around the main characters of the show, no original characters. The adult content featured here is male on male/homosexual, if that offends you, then please take note of that and don't read it._

Chapter 3: Chance

Nagisa stretched his arms above his head, his eyes squinting in the sun of an early day. Sitting at the edge of the pool he had his feet dipped in, moving them slowly back and forth, feeling the water caress his skin. He was killing time before the others showed up. Makoto had called him this morning, mentioning how he and Haru had plans to swim, and he wanted him and Rei to show up too. It wasn't for a practice this time, it was simply recreational, relaxing and enjoyable swimming they could all do together.

He hadn't been waiting long before Rei showed up, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. "Rei-chan!" Nagisa grinned and ran up to him, stopping just centimeters short of a hug. "I'm glad you could make it on such short notice!" A breeze ruffled a few locks of his hair. Rei brushed them back into place with his fingertips.

"It's my pleasure, Nagisa." Nagisa blushed, the sensation of Rei's fingertips still hot on his skin. "You mentioned the others are coming, right?"

"Oh, yeah! Haru-chan and Mako-chan originally had this idea. They got permission on Friday from Miss Ama-chan and everything!" Nagisa was already dressed in his swimsuit, it was different than the one he would normally practice or compete in. They were shorts, pink, with blue stripes. One of his favorite pairs. Nagisa couldn't help but notice how Rei wasn't changed yet. "Are you going to change, Rei?" Nagisa asked out of curiosity.

Dressed in a t-shirt and warm up pants, Rei shook his head. "Nope, I sort of pulled a Haru today." Before Nagisa could ask what Rei meant Rei pulled off his shirt, revealing his sculpted body, toned well by track and swim. Then down came his sweatpants, revealing he was wearing a tight pair of swim shorts beneath them.

Nagisa giggled. "I get it now," he said. "Then what's with the duffel bag? If you weren't gonna change here and all..."

"Oh, well I still want to rinse the chlorine off myself when we're done here, and then I'll change into new clothes-these aren't technically even that clean, anyway," he said to Nagisa with an embarrassed smile.

Just then the door opened and Mako and Haru walked out, Mako wearing a soft smile like always. Haru, though not smiling wasn't unusual for him, looked.. Less himself, today. Nagisa furrowed his brow. Something was up.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" He wore a grin regardless and walked over to them. "This was a great idea!" He threw his arms up in the air in excitement.

"It really was, it'll be nice-" at that moment Rei was interrupted by a loud splash. With a turn of their heads, everyone could see Haru wasted no time in stripping off his clothing and diving into the pool.

Rei still couldn't help but watch in awe. They had been swim team members for a while now, yet every time Haru swam in front of Rei, his heart would stop. The beauty always overcame him. The way he moved through the water seemingly effortlessly, like... Like...

"A dolphin! Haru-chan's swimming always makes me think of a dolphin swimming, don't you think so too, Rei?" Nagisa had draped himself over Rei's shoulder, despite the height difference, and his smooth skin against Rei's own exposed flesh gave him goosebumps, and he resisted the urge to shiver. Nagisa's hand gingerly caressed the small of Rei's back and he gave a small, but involuntary yelp.

Mako looked over at the two of them, raising his eyebrows, but then just smiling. Haru surfaced then, beads of water dripping from his hair. Nagisa and Rei both could see the way Mako's eyes never left Haru. It wasn't that Mako looked "lovestruck" or anything when he watched Haru, but there was an undeniable attraction that Mako held for Haru that never was shy to show itself-whether it stemmed from their close friendship or not was hard to say.

Haru kept swimming through the water, feeling it slide across his skin as he glided, swimming and turning under the surface of the water, going until he absolutely had to surface for air. Soon Mako had joined Haru in the pool, swimming up to him.

From the other end of the pool, Nagisa had trouble hearing what they were saying. Something definitely was up, then. He decided to dive in then, and swim over to the two of them. "Hey, everything okay with you today Haru-chan?" He asked with a worried look on his fragile face. Haru met Nagisa's gaze with a seemingly emotionless one of his own, as was rather typical.

"I'm fine, Nagisa." He dove under again then, swimming to the other side of the pool. Nagisa turned to Mako, still looking worried.

"Mako-chan…" He started, biting his lip. "Is something wrong?"

Makoto gave Nagisa his ever so reassuring smile. "Ah, no, don't worry Nagisa." He started to swim towards the other end as well. Turning around, Nagisa could see that Rei had gotten in the water too, finally.

"Rei-chaaaaan!" Nagisa yelled, grinning. "Wanna play marco polo?"

"Marco.. Polo…?" Haru piped up, puzzled. Mako laughed.

"Nagisa, we're not in grade school anymore." Nagisa just kept grinning.

"I wanna play! C'mon, it will be fun!" Nagisa could see Rei shrug.

"Sure, why not. I don't have the theories completely memorized, since it's been a while. But prepare for defeat." As he watched Rei adjust his swim goggles as if they were his normal glasses, Nagisa smiled, his heart skipping a beat.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Nagisa floated in the center of his friends. He closed his eyes. "Okay, Marco!"

"Polo!" Came everyone's reply.

A couple hours later, the four friends were tired, the sun now high in the sky as the afternoon sun reached its peak. A grumble could be heard across the locker room, followed by Makoto's laughter. "Didn't eat enough this morning, Haru?" There wasn't a response, but Mako laughed softly, confirming that Haru had responded in some manner at least.

Nagisa sighed, changing back into his street clothes. Running a hand through his damp blonde locks he gazed at his reflection in the dull locker room mirror. Haru-chan hadn't wanted to admit what was bothering him earlier, and even Mako-chan.. He shook his head. Whatever it was, it wasn't his business, and they had made that perfectly clear.

Suddenly a hand clasped Nagisa's shoulder. Yelping in surprise and turning around, he quickly sighed in relief upon seeing it was only Rei. "Rei-chan, don't scare me like that!" He bit his lip in frustration.

Rei grinned and ruffled Nagisa's hair. "Sorry, Nagisa. I couldn't resist. Are you heading home now? I overheard Makoto and Haruka-senpai talking about how they had more plans… I couldn't tell what though, it was like they were purposely choosing their words carefully in order to be ambiguous." Rei adjusted his glasses in frustrated confusion. "You know, when I first joined the team, I felt so out of place. You all knew each other, had these pre-existing bonds. And now even though I'm accepted… Can't help but still feel left out sometimes." He sighed.

Nagisa hugged Rei tight. "Rei-chan, it's okay." He pulled away and looked up at him, smiling. "Why don't we go and get some ice cream? It'll help us beat the heat!"

Rei smiled and shook his head. "Okay, Nagisa. We'll get ice cream, then."

Nagisa grinned. "Ice cream!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "Let's go, Rei-Chan!" Grabbing his hand Nagisa lead Rei out of the locker and out of their school, heading down the street towards the nearest ice cream stand.

They had been walking for a few minutes when Rei looked down and blushed. Nagisa was still holding his hand. Shaking his head and smiling, he gave. Nagisa's hand a little squeeze. Nagisa looked up at Rei wide-eyed. "R-Rei-chan.." A pale pink blush crept over his cheeks.

"What is it?" Rei asked, tilting his head slightly, remaining coy. Nagisa just blushed deeper.

"L-Look, Rei-chan, the ice cream stand is just up ahead!" Nagisa ran forward, tugging Rei along with him and stopping just in front of the ice cream cart. A middle-aged man in a tacky, colorful uniform was standing under the umbrella that provided less shade than one would think. He saw that Rei and Nagisa were holding hands and narrowed his eyes.

Noticing this, Rei stiffened and pulled Nagisa a little closer to his side, almost protectively. Nagisa was too busy looking over the ice cream flavors to notice the tense exchange.

"What'll you boys have?" Asked the ice cream vendor. Rei cleared his throat.

"I'll take a blue ice cream bar. . . Whichever one is the color blue." He pushed up his glasses, trying to remain composed and not stare down the vendor.

"I want strawberry milk ice cream, please," Nagisa said with a grin.

Giving them their cold treats, Rei handed over money enough for both and briskly pulled Nagisa away.

"Rei-chan, is everything okay?" Nagisa asked, looking up and tilting his head.

Rei sighed. "Everything's fine Nagisa-san... Why don't we catch the train back to my place?" He asked, his mood suddenly doing a 180. In a few short words he went from irritated to having a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

Nagisa grinned. "I'd love to!" Eating their ice cream, the two boys walked to the Iwatobi station, still hand in hand.

Rolling over in the sheets, Nagisa whimpered. "D-Don't bite me so hard Rei-chan!" A small gasp escaped his lips as Rei's teeth grazed Nagisa's already sore collarbone. Grinding himself up against Nagisa, Rei grinned and chuckled.

"My apologies, Nagisa-san." With one swift motion, Rei turned onto his back and flipped Nagisa on top of him, so his legs were straddling either side of him as they laid there. Both boys were shirtless, their muscles, well built by athletics and swimming, were glistening with a light sheen of sweat. Below the belt both boys were clad only in their underwear-Rei in a pair of dark blue boxers, Nagisa wearing pink briefs.

Running his hand down Nagisa's back, Rei paused to cup Nagisa's rear. Leaning into his ear he whispered, "I think it's cute how you wear such childish underwear." Nibbling on his ear caused Nagisa to whine, his hardening cock pressing up against Rei's own.

"Stop teasing me Rei-chan!" Nagisa said, his voice soft. Rei just grinned even more. It drove him wild to make Nagisa whimper and squirm, because he knew sooner or later he would reach his breaking point, and someone would be screwing somebody.

Nagisa buried his face in the crook of Rei's neck. Inhaling deeply, Nagisa savored every scent he could smell that was Rei. Over the past couple months this had been such a comforting sensation to him. It had been by chance that they had wound up like this, and at first, Rei was worried. He didn't want any emotions to get in the way of being on the swim team. Nagisa had assured him, though, that there was nothing to worry about. And there hadn't been. Nagisa and Rei assumed that Mako and Haru probably had their suspicions, but if they did, they certainly weren't concerned enough to bring it up. Probably for the sake of their own situation.

Grinding up against Nagisa Rei smirked. "I have an idea Nagisa-san.." He leaned in close to Nagisa again and lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "Why don't we try that.. Thing we've been talking about?"

Nagisa's body grew rigid at the thought, but it sent his heart racing. He could feel every pulse of blood in his veins. "O-Okay, Rei-chan." He smiled, even though he knew Rei couldn't see.

"Good, now, if I remember correctly, you need to be positioned like so." And with a mischievous grin Rei flipped Nagisa over and onto his knees. Kneeling behind him, he gave Nagisa's ass a light smack, eliciting another gasp from Nagisa. "Perfect," he said with a gleam in his eye. "Just perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: This is an M rated story, not meant for anyone under the age of 18- it will involve adult content. This is a fanfiction based off of the anime Free! and it is based around the main characters of the show, no original characters. The adult content featured here is male on male/homosexual, if that offends you, then please take note of that and don't read it._

Chapter 4: Meeting

As the sun lowered in the sky, Rin sighed. His day hadn't been as productive as he had been hoping for. Having spent his morning at practice, his afternoon was spent in his dorm room, surrounded by books that he should have been studying from. Instead, his mind had been racing. Racing with thoughts of Haru.

He had been on his mind almost constantly. Most importantly, how it had felt to swim with Haru again. With Haru, Mako, Nagisa.. Everything about it had resurfaced his childhood memories of those guys, all the happiness. But thinking about Haru is what filled his stomach with butterflies. Rin clenched his fist.

Why he let himself feel all flustery over anyone, for him.. A guy for that matter.. He shook his head. It didn't bother him so much anymore as it used to, but Rin wasn't entirely comfortable with his sexuality yet. He knew he was gay ever since he was young, but as he grew up. . . He had less and less "encounters" with guys, choosing to be by himself, especially in Australia.. Rin had been craving a connection with people, with his friends... Finally having that back, as badly as he wanted it, was a little overwhelming.

Biting his lip, Rin shook his head. It wasn't important. So what if he had been too busy to see Haru and the others since the relay? Sure, he had wanted to. . . But things had been busy. A couple of phone calls had been exchanged, at the least, and sure he had seen the others at some joint swim team practices, but nothing that compared to one on one friend time. Taking a deep breath, Rin flipped his cell phone open.

Dialing Haru's number, his hands trembled. The ringing in his ears seemed to taunt him as he waited for Haru to pick up the phone.

Elsewhere, Haru heard his phone ringing. It was in the other room, probably left on the kitchen counter. Getting up from the couch to answer it, Mako looked up after him, puzzled. Haru wasn't known for keeping his phone on him, let alone even using it that much.

"Hello?" Haru answered.

"Haru?" Came Rin's voice from the other end. Haru gasped a little, his heart racing. Rin never failed to daze him.

"H-Hello Rin," Haru said with a trembling voice. In the other room, Mako furrowed his brow. He wondered why Rin would be calling Haru, after having just called Mako himself a few days ago.

Curious, Mako got up from the couch and went to linger in the kitchen doorway. Not exactly eavesdropping, but still. . . Listening.

"I was wondering if I could see you tonight," Rin said. He ran a hand through his hair and shivered. The idea of talking to Haru about what he wanted to say was making him nervous.

Haru paused, his stomach in knots. There could be plenty of rational reasons why Rin would want to see Haru, but his mind could only jump to one, and it made him sick. It was what had been causing him all the nightmares. Haru was scared that Rin would shut himself away from the others again, from Haru particularly. He was scared of losing his friend, after now being so close to maybe. . . Why Haru thought Rin would need to make a big announcement out of it made absolutely no sense. But to someone suffering from an irrational fear, well, logic wasn't terribly present.

Clearing his throat, he spoke. "I.. Yeah, that should be fine, Rin. W-What time?"

"Maybe 7 o'clock? I can come by your place then."

Haru nodded. "Sounds good, Rin. See you then." Hanging up the phone, Haru sighed. It was then he noticed Mako standing in the doorway, wearing a worried expression on his face.

"Everything okay, Haru?" He asked him, walking up to his friend. Haru sighed again, but nodded his head yes.

"Yeah, Mako. Everything's fine. Rin's gonna be coming over later tonight, in a couple hours." He shook his head.

Mako nodded. "Okay, Haru. Then let's get back to watching the movie then, okay?" He asked him with a reassuring smile.

Haru offered one of his own. "Sure, Mako. Sounds good." And the two friends returned to the couch. Maybe it was Haru's imagination, but Mako seemed to be sitting closer to him this time around.

A few hours later, the moon was glowing in the sky above Rin's head. It wasn't a full moon, not yet anyway-but it shone bright as could be. It lit the sidewalk beneath his feet as he walked. Rin paused, looking out over the ocean and sighing. He would never be able to look at the ocean the same way anymore, never again.

Shivering in the night air, Rin shoved his hands into his vest's pockets. He better had keep walking to get to Haru's place by 7. His footsteps echoed across the street in hollow thumps, making Rin feel alone amidst the bustling city. He was the only pedestrian on the street, but cars were always driving by, illuminating his body with their headlights. The buildings were alight and full of people, drink and fun. Some of the more isolated buildings, residential homes, looked like they were quieter. But for a Saturday night, the walk through downtown Rin had to make remained alive-despite the noticeable lack of people actually outside on the street.

It wasn't even cold out, rather, the night was unseasonably cool. Every once and a while there were these nights. The temperature dropped lower than normal, a slight breeze could make someone's teeth chatter.

Rin was flooded with relief as he climbed the familiar steps up towards Haru's house, knocking on the door with a shaking hand. He only waited a few moments before the door swung open, showering Rin in a bubble of warmth and light.

Haru stared at Rin for a moment before remembering to greet his friend. "Hey, Rin. C'mon in..." He shut the door behind him as he entered and led him to where Mako was still on the couch, a new movie now playing. Haru didn't have a clue what it was, it was a random action movie that was relatively popular for the time.

"Yo," Rin said, nodding his head towards Mako. He hadn't know he would be here, if he had, maybe. . . He bit his lip. Rin knew he still had to talk to Haru at some point this evening, even if Mako was around.

Haru patted the empty space next to him on the couch, and Rin sat down. Now Haru was in the middle of Mako and Rin, his heart racing. It was enough to be so close to one of them at once, easier to be closer to Mako, too, but this. . . This made his palms sweat, his heart pound ferociously in his chest, threatening to spill out of his throat. He swallowed deep before jumping up to his feet.

"Ah, I'm going to get some. . .Some beverages," Haru mumbled as he turned around to head into the kitchen. Mako sighed and Rin closed his eyes, opening them slowly.

"So, Mako, what have you and Haru been up to this evening?" He asked, a small attempt at conversation with his friend. Things were never this tense or awkward between them normally-at least not during those few times they had actually seen each other, not just talked on the phone, since the competition.

"Oh, just hanging out, watching a lot of movies. I've kinda lost track," he said with a small chuckle, gazing towards the TV screen. "I honestly have no idea what's happening in this movie, for example." He grinned.

Rin returned the smile. "I know how that can be," he said, staring at the arm of the couch, pretending to be carefully studying the intricate pattern of. . .couch fibers. . . He cleared his throat. "Hey, Mako, I wa-"

"Rin, catch!" Rin stopped mid-word and looked up just in time to see a can of soda flying towards his head. Catching it, Rin couldn't help but laugh. "A little more of a warning next time, yeah?"

Haru's eyes sparkled, but he didn't smile. He was still so nervous, just staring at Rin made him tremble. Tossing the other can to Mako, Haru took his own into his hands and opened it as he sat down between the two boys again. On either side of his legs was the heat of the boys' legs pressing into him. Swallowing hard, Haru shook his head a little, an attempt to clear his thoughts.

The three boys sat together like that for a while, sipping at their sodas, only half-heartedly watching the movie playing on the TV. The air was thick with unspoken words between them, and it made Mako get fidgety. Something told him Rin was here for a reason other than just "dropping by" and he wanted to know why. But he couldn't exactly just call him out while they sat here.

With an inaudible sigh, Mako stretched his arms above his head. Upon letting them back down, he hadn't even realized that his right arm was now draped along the back of the couch, dangerously close to having his arm over Haru's shoulders. Blushing deeply Mako looked down to try and hide his face. Haru stiffened as he felt Mako's arm just centimeters away from his shoulders. Squirming a little, he tried to avoid contact with both Mako and Rin then, deciding to try and ignore it. Haru bit his lip. It was going to be a long night. . .


End file.
